Building block



NOV. 1, 1938. 7 s, 1 N, JR 2,134,941

BUILDING BLOCK FiledJan. 12, 193.8

DEBBIE SUBBED QUEBEC] QUEBEC] DECIDED DECIDED ATTORNEYS.

material ther Patented Nov. 1, 1938.

e Emile a ouig ntn Jr... kit ies .City, Mo.

Application Januai-y 12, 1938, Seri'al No. 184,607v v efoiai s, '(o iss--s g;

'This invention relates to building units in the nature of a blockformed of sheet metal and comprising two complementary halves that maybe fitted together on the job andfilled with insulating materialso as topresent walithat is strong and effective in maintaining a completelyinsulated condition Within the building.

- The primary object of thisinvention is'to-provide a building blockthat is iightystrong and susceptible of receivingon either face adesirable finish without the use of intermediate sheet- 'materialor thelike to the endthatthe inner and outer faces of a building 'wall mighthave vitreous eon presenting weatherproof finishes'of desirable design,color and appearance; 7 A furthcrobject of this invention is theprovision of a sheet metal building block which comprises a pairoihollowtray-iike sections that may be secured togetherthrough themedium of clips or the'like, carr'ie d by one of the sections anden-'gageable with a 'complementarysection so that assembly might takeplace'at the point of construction and without the use of special equipment or tools I e I A yet further aim; of this invention Ito pro vide abuiidingblockoiithe aforementioned char-.:

acter which. has specially jo'rmed side wall that may receive and holdflanged sheet metal blocks which present'theappearance'as though thewall was constructed o ftile or other ceramic I units. e

An evenfurther object of the invention is to 'provide a sheet metalbuilding block that has means on the edge walls thereof for preventingac cidental dispiaceme'ntgof stacked blocks during the formation ofa'wall therefrom. f

Heretofore building biocksfhave been madeof .cement or other moldablematerials which; adds weight to the building block and'nece ssitates the{use of a plastic material when creatingja wall therefrom. Blocks havinga continuous concave groove extending entirely around the edges thereof,have been made of cement and after stacking have been reinforced hroughthe use. of rods and "additional cementdisposed within the groovesand'pasjsageways "that are formed""when the blocks are brought togetherin edge to edge relation. 'VThis WeIEknown manner of reinforcing blocks;while used in connect on witnthe sheet metal'building block contemplatedbythis invention, is not claimed; as a new expedient in the 'formationof building wallsits functionhow- I ever, is, necessary because of thereduced weight in the. building block portion of .th 55 sheet metaiunits areemployed,

The advantages of a sheet metal building block at once becomes obviousto those skilled in the art. Manifestly the block may be made quicker,it is cheaper to construct, both with regard to time and materials, itpresents very thin walls so it I e .wall when that insulating materialemployed may be thicker in the conventionaiwall than when employing'blocks of other material. 1 i

The two outer faces of the side walls of the 'as'sembiedblock may betreatedby'a'pplying vitreous material directly thereto in themanufacturing plant and the necessary firing of the coating so applied,may be'accomplished in the usual'zmanne'r without' detrimental effect. 1

Formingffiange receiving elements on the fiat side walls'of the block ispossible through the use of dies'and when these elements are formed; de-

sirable types of sheet metal blocks maybe applied tdthe outer face ofthe-side walls when thebuiiding is completed.

i Withthe foregoing advantages and broad ob- I jects in view,theinvention willnow be described by reference to theaccompanying drawing'where- Figure-=1 is -a fragmentary perspectiveaviewof a portion of abuilding wall madeof sheet metaly building blocksii embodying thisinvention.

Fig. 21's a side elevation .of'the sheetmetal building blockentirelyremm'ed' from association with anyother part of abuiiding wall. FigJBis-an elevational view of the open side of icinehf thesections'of thebuilding block.

-1 Fig. "4 is an-edge eIeVationoI-"an. assembled building biocka i. 1 A

" Fig. 5 is a vertical'cross-sectional view through the building? blocktaken on line V -V of Fig. 2, Fig. 6 is 'an enlarged fragmentarydetailed sectional view through a portion of a buildingwall atthe'zoneof juncture between two adjacent blocks.

" The block is preferably formed of two-hollow" *tray-likesections madealike so "that any section will combine with another in forming thecomplete hollow-blocka Sheet metal of suitable gauge is employed andithas been found in practice, that a -biock meas -uring112" x 12"" x4";is' satis'factory. Each section 8 has a flat side wall lllwherein ispressed a plurality ofgrooves I2 extending iniintersecting paths acrosstheface iof side wall' lfl and spaced An offset M extends around theedge ofside walij ID at thecornerformed atthe juncture between side wall10 andedge'walld'fi. Offset l4 cooperates wit h the same ofiset of thenext ad-' ijoiniiig block'when the wall is' constructed so as t tfprin-afgroove-along the seambetwe'en the b ok if-213;? c

Edge wall I 6*"extends laterally from side 'wall The cross-sectionalcont'our' .01 this wall i6 is ciearlyshown'inFigs. 58nd 6 and the wall16 has'a flat portion l8 and an arched portion 20. Flat portion I8provides a. scatter the overlying or v I I 0 at the periphery thereofand is continuous.

v lends rigidity to awall comprising sheet metal 4o metal blocks 30.

adjoining block, and this part of wall I6 has an opening 22 and anupstanding ear: 24 provided thereon. The ears are openings on thevarious stretches of flat portion l8,.must beso arranged as to renderthe blocks interchangeable and reversible throughout the entire wallstructure. It is observed that sections 8 are tray-like in form and therims of the open sides are contiguous when the block parts areassembled.

Each section 8 has a clip 26 thereon which. extends outwardly throughthe open side of the block section 8 to engage the arcuate portion 20 ofthe other section of the block. When forcing the sections together,clips 26 will snap in place, and if it becomes necessary to'remove onesection, itis only required that enough outward force be exerted toovercome the inherentresiliency of clipsZG. l g

A filling 2810f suitable insulating material .may be placed within thehollow block and the outer faces of side walls 10 may be covered withsheet These blocks 3 0 are in extensive commercial use and are made topresent laterally extending flanges 32, which serve as guide andsecuring parts. Plastic material is usually spread over-the inner faceofrblock 30 before it is moved to position againstthe outer face of sidewall l0, andafter the building wall has been made up of blocks iormedasabove de-. scribed, any type of facing maybe amxed-thereto. Thevarcuateportionsill of edge walls li -on each block cooperate to form acontinuous concave groove which extends around theedge of the block..When the blocks are together as shownin Figs. 1 and 6, a tubular spaceisaflorded for thereception of reinforcing: rods and ,a cementitiousfilling 36. a :f reinforced concrete frame-like structure blocks in thenature of those shown and --described. It bindstogether'adjoining-blocks-to such an extentgthat cement is notineeded in the?seams created by the abutting flat portionsgl8i when blocks '30 are inplace and the jointstherebetween filled by grouting and; pointing, thestructure is sufliciently solid and tight to withstand theelements andany hard use to which it maybeput. x

It is obvious that sheet, metal building blocks of a specific nature,other than those shown and described, mightbemade to embody theinvention without departing from the spirit thereof and the scope of theappended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and,desiredto be secured by LettersPatent is: Q 1

1. Asheetme al building block comprising a pair of hollowtray-likesections havingthe rims of their: open sides contiguous; and means forsecuring together'said sections.

2. A sheet metal building block comprising a lpairof hollow tray-likesections having the rims of their open sidescontiguous; and resilientmeans for releasably securing togethersaid sections. 3. A sheetmetal.,buildingblock comprising a pair of hollow tray-like sectionshaving therims of their'open sides contiguous; .and a plurality of clipscarried by one section and in releasable engagement with the othersection forsecurin'g togetherthe pair of sections...

4. A sheet metal building block comprising a pair of hollow tray-likesectionshaving the rims plurality of edgepair of hollow 'ried by fthesections wall at, the periphery of their open sides contiguous; andmeans carried by thesections for securing together the same, each ofsaid sections having elements for receiving portions ofa covering for,the outer face of its closed side. 3 I g 5. A sheet metal building blockcomprising ,a pair of hollow tray-like sections; and means carried bythe sections for securing together the same,-each of said sectionshaving elements for receiving portions of a covering for the outer faceof its closed side, each of said sections having a walls, each edge wallhaving an out-turned ear and an ear-receiving opening for the purposespecified.

6. A sheet metal building block comprising a "pair of hollowtray-likesections havingthe rims of their open 'sidescontlguous; and meanscarried by ,the'sections for securing together the same, each of saidsections comprising a flat side wall, and a laterally extendingcircumscribing edge wall at the periphery of the side wall, said edgewall having its outer marginal, edge archedinwardlyto provide spacebetween adjacent blocks of a buildingfor the receptionof reinforcingmaterials. i I

.7. A sheet metal building block comprising a tray-like sections havingthe rims of their open sides contiguous; and means carried by the;sections for securing togetherfthe j same, each oi said sectionscomprising a flat side 3 wall, and alaterally .extendinglcircumscribingedge wall at the periphery of the side wall, said edge .wall havingitsouter marginal edge arched inwardly to provide space between adjacentblocks of abuilding for the receptionlpf rein-" forcing materials,saidflat'side wall of each sectionbeing provided gaging elements.

8, A sheet metal building bloclrcomprising a pair of hollow. tray-likesections having the rims with a" series of flange-enried by] thesectionsfor securing together 7 wall and a laterallyei'rtending'circumscribingedge wall at the periphery ofthe,

wardly to, provide space between, adjacent blocks of a building'for thereception of reinforcing materials, said flat side wallfof each sectionbein pressed inwardly. along vertical and horizontal; spaced apartlinesto A provide flange-engaging section, formed? by the meeting'of thesidewall I same, each of said secti n'sconiprisinga flat side,

and edge wall, the offset of one blockcooperating I withthe offset ofthe adjoining block 'in creating a' flange-engaging groove at themeeting line of the blocks."

" 9. A'sheet metal'buildin gbloclr' comprising a pair of hollowtray-likesections having the rims of their open sides contiguous; 'and means'car-- for securing together the same, each of 'said sections. having aflat side wall,

and a laterally extendingcircumscribing' edge e e of the side wall,sai'dedge wall having a flat portion along the zone of connectionwiththe side wall, the outermarglnal edge.

'of said edge'wallb'eingarched inwardly to p'ro-' vide, withithezassociated section, a continuous groove'around the block, said flatportion of the edge wall having a standing ears for the purposespecifled;-'

' S. 'GUIGNON', JR.

plurality of openingsand up-fl their'open id c iguousyand means car- 9grooves; wer being an offset at the corners of the

